Air-defence systems made by China and other countries were a focal point at a major defence show in Abu Dhabi last week, with experts saying armed confrontation in the region has put missile defence systems in “great demand”.
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The HQ-9BE is an export variant of the HQ-9B which is in turn an improved version of the original HQ-9. The HQ-9BE has a range of up to 260km (160 miles) and added passive infrared seeker.
China’s HQ-9 systems are subject to similar export patterns as the S-300, and are in service in Morocco, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.
Similarly, the HQ-17AE – which has reportedly been bought by Saudi Arabia and Serbia – is an export variant of the HQ-17A, a wheeled variant of the HQ-17, which itself was also derived from Russia’s Tor low-to medium-altitude, short-range surface-to-air missile system.
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